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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797268">I'll Come Back For You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaslyna/pseuds/Kaslyna'>Kaslyna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Penny Dreadful (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Loosely based on a scene from Salem, Post S3 AU, Resurrection, Smut, fixit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:28:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797268</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaslyna/pseuds/Kaslyna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was such a cursed existence that he had refused to grant his son this bastardized form of immortality, and yet, John Clare could not help the thought that continued to be at the forefront of his mind: that there was still a way to save Vanessa Ives yet. He did not know the full extent of her pain, but he felt that they were, in a way, kindred spirits in that respect, and that certainly she deserved more than to have her life cut so short. He only slightly faulted the man responsible; he was sure in the moment, he had done what he had believed was necessary. And so with these thoughts in mind, John Clare set out to do what he believed to be necessary, to right the wrong that was a world without Vanessa Ives in it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caliban | John Clare &amp; Vanessa Ives, Ethan Chandler/Vanessa Ives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'll Come Back For You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/amunetts/gifts">amunetts</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written for a friend. It's based loosely on this scene from Salem and her tags on this gifset of it (warning: nsfw): https://vanessaschandler.tumblr.com/post/153111569801/kingshanewest-john-ive-swum-beyond-the-wall</p>
<p>There is one line shamelessly stolen/kind of adapted from that scene in this fic, the one from the gifset. This is incredibly self indulgent and niche, but I figured why not post it anyways, we can always use more fixit fics in this fandom. I hope you enjoy even if you haven't seen Salem! You don't have to to really understand it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was such a cursed existence that he had refused to grant his son this bastardized form of immortality, and yet, John Clare could not help the thought that continued to be at the forefront of his mind: that there was still a way to save Vanessa Ives yet. He did not know the full extent of her pain, but he felt that they were, in a way, kindred spirits in that respect, and that certainly she deserved more than to have her life cut so short. He only slightly faulted the man responsible; he was sure in the moment, he had done what he had believed was necessary. And so with these thoughts in mind, John Clare set out to do what </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> believed to be necessary, to right the wrong that was a world without Vanessa Ives in it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Victor Frankenstein was, understandably, shocked when he opened his door to John Clare, a body under a sheet in his arms late at night. Even so, he permitted him to enter. John Clare moved with the conviction of a man who had discovered his purpose; he would do his best to ensure that Vanessa’s transition back to life was as smooth as possible.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Dr. Frankenstein shook his head, taking a step back when it was revealed who John Clare had brought with him, “I will not make her suffer anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It is the only way,” he insisted, “You and I both know that. And she will not only have us, but others as well, to help her and guide her.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I cannot do that to another,” the doctor pleaded, shaking his head, “I’m sorry. I will not.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can and you will!” John Clare declared, “And if you will not, then I shall do it on my own. But I would prefer not to, as I am not as intimately familiar with the process as you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And if she becomes a monster?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She will not,” John Clare softened his tone, “She deserves to live. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>John Clare watched the other man deliberate, his conviction that this was not a good idea wavering. Though he was not a patient man, he knew he must wait out the doctor, or do this procedure himself. Finally, the doctor nodded, once, and began rattling off orders.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were lucky, as it was a stormy night, and it was only a few hours later that Vanessa Ives breathed once more, born anew. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And unlike the trauma of John Clare’s rebirth, or the gentleness of Proteus’, or the graceful nature of Brona Croft’s, Vanessa’s was some combination of all three.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And somehow, she remembered everything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-o-o-o-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the men were done filling her in on what she had missed and how she had been revived from death itself, Vanessa demanded to see Ethan. Victor hesitated, and John Clare screwed up his face in mild disgust before masking it with something more neutral. It had not shocked her the way it perhaps should have, to find out the connection between the two men. She had been through too much for something such as this to surprise her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps… we could wait until morning?” Victor finally suggested.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” she shook her head, adamant, “If you will not take me, then I will go myself.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And that was how they found themselves outside of Grandage Place at just past midnight. Vanessa did not have a key and so Victor knocked, keeping her behind him, lest they shock whoever answered the door. It was a while before the knock was answered, but Sir Malcolm looked quite exhausted when he did.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This better be good,” he told them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh it is,” Victor replied, and then took Vanessa’s hand and brought her forward.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sir Malcolm stepped back, “How?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Victor explained his process, as briefly as he could. Before he was through, Sir Malcolm had wrapped his arms around Vanessa. Vanessa took a moment to respond, but she wrapped her arms around him in turn, taking comfort in her father figure’s nearness.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is Ethan here?” she asked him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“In your room,” Sir Malcolm told her, breaking the hug, “He has barely slept since.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took all of Vanessa’s willpower not to run upstairs after excusing herself, leaving Victor and John to bid Sir Malcolm goodnight. She stopped before the door to her room, hesitated. She had no idea what state she’d find Ethan in and she found herself suddenly afraid. She swallowed, pushed back the fear as best she could, and slowly opened the door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was asleep on the bed, though it was a restless one from what she could tell. She closed the door quietly behind her and crept to the bed, standing beside where he lay. She took a long moment to just look at him, at the way his brow furrowed and he shifted as if lost in the throes of a nightmare. Within seconds he shouted and sat up, panting heavily.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” she breathed, unable to stop herself from trying to reassure him, “You’re okay, you’re safe, it was just a dream.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Vanessa?” he choked out, staring at her with widened eyes, “You can’t be. I killed you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You did,” she told him, and tentatively placed a hand on his arm meant to soothe, “But Victor brought me back. I don’t entirely understand how, and you can ask him, but I am very much alive once again. And incredibly hard to kill now, I do believe.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t believe that,” Ethan shook his head, and her heart broke for him a little, “This is just some cruel trick of my mind.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s real, Ethan,” she insisted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She spent a moment contemplating her options before choosing to get a candle from the fireplace mantle and bring it over, setting it softly on the night table. Then she slowly began to unbutton the shirt Victor had lent her, shrugging it off her shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“See? This is fresh stitching, which Victor will take out in approximately four weeks,” she told him, and then turned, pulling her hair over one shoulder, “And this, this has healed already. It’s real Ethan, I’m me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She turned back again. Ethan was crying and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him, but she knew better, knew she had to wait him out. Finally he said her name once more and she moved, letting him pull her into him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” he asked once he’d calmed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll explain it the best I can,” she told him, “But right now, Ethan, I’ve swam beyond the walls of sleep. I’ve been alive and dead and then alive again. And right now all I want to feel is you inside me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was taken aback by the statement, but it barely took him a moment to respond, yanking back his blankets and tugging at her so that she ended up on top of him. They stared at each other for a long moment before they finally, finally kissed. It was bruising and desperate; teeth scraped against teeth, against lips, but Vanessa could not find it within herself to care, and besides which, she had always liked it a bit rough.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanessa only climbed off of Ethan long enough for him to undress before he was pulling her back again, kissing her mouth, her neck. He was shaking with the effort to be gentle, but he succeeded in his efforts, so careful of her wounds. When he tried to move his hand between her legs she shook her head and removed it, twining their fingers together and squeezing his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We can take our time later,” she explained, “I meant what I said earlier.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan nodded his agreement, and Vanessa moved into position. Time seemed to slow as she took him inside of her, and they both sat there unmoving, breathing the other in. Ethan looked up at her, wonder in his eyes. When Vanessa finally began to move, it was slow and purposeful, mindful of her limitations.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan’s hand found her breast, and as her movements became more frantic it moved between her legs to help her reach her peak faster. Her abdomen began to ache but she easily ignored it as her pleasure grew.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Vanessa climaxed, Ethan followed, shouting her name. Vanessa’s movements finally slowed, and Ethan sat to kiss her between panting breaths.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I love you, I am so sorry,” Ethan sobbed between kisses.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh, it’s alright now,” Vanessa soothed, “You did what you had to do. It’s okay. I love you, too.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hugged her then. It was a long time before he finally let go.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he did, he did not let her go far.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He would never let her go far again, if he could help it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked it! Salem is another great horror show, if anyone needs something to watch. ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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